“Marsh McLennan senior partner Crispin Ellison believes Ukraine could reopen the airport in Lviv next year, partially restoring air services that have been suspended across the country since a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.”, — write: www.ukrinform.ua
Marsh McLennan senior partner Crispin Ellison believes Ukraine could reopen Lviv’s airport next year, partially resuming air services suspended across the country following a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
According to Ellison, Kyiv has been negotiating with European aviation authorities and airlines for the resumption of some air transportation for almost a year.
“If the regulators agree it’s safe to reopen and the political decision is made, the insurance industry will be ready to support recovery efforts,” Ellison said, referring to 2025.
The State Aviation Service said in written comments that it is considering the possibility of a phased and limited opening of airspace for civil aviation “subject to risk assessment and their reduction to an acceptable level, as well as the implementation of additional security measures.” At the same time, no time limits were mentioned in the service.
Ensuring airspace security is a top priority, and “a lot of work has been done around that,” Ellison said, without providing further details.
The expert noted that Marsh McLennan supports the Ukrainian government in creating an insurance fund to cover commercial aviation. Brokers already implement an insurance program for vessels that carry all cargo through the Ukrainian Black Sea Corridor.
According to him, the aviation sector is currently involved in negotiations about the possibility of opening the airport. “National carriers, budget and Ukrainian airlines are showing interest and are considering the possibility of doing it,” he said.
Ukrainian authorities are also keen to reopen the country’s main airport, Boryspil, outside Kyiv, but Ellison believes the aviation market is waiting “until there is confidence that this can happen in a much lower risk scenario”.
Read also: Restoration flights in Ukraine: how is it maybe to happen and When Russia has been regularly striking Ukraine with missiles and drones for more than 2.5 years of hostilities. Kyiv and the surrounding areas are regularly subjected to Russian attacks. Lviv Oblast, compared to other Ukrainian regions, suffers fewer Russian strikes, writes Reuters. Lviv Airport has two terminals and before the war served up to 3,000 passengers per hour.
As reported by Ukrinform, Ellison previously stated that insurance companies are ready for political decisions regarding the resumption of air traffic with Ukraine, and there are even 5-6 air carriers that would like to start working as early as January.
Ellison also noted that the question of which airport to open first remains debatable. According to him, the President of Ukraine is ready to consider the option with Boryspol, while the opening of an airport in Lviv is more realistic for insurers.